Update: SC State GOP Rejects Local Purity Test

Yesterday, Evan posted about an alarming story out of Laurens County, South Carolina — taking a cue from Grover Norquist, the bigots at NOM, and just about every other right-wing organization with an aggressive agenda, the county chapter of the Republican Party drafted what amounts to a purity pledge for primary candidates. By affixing one’s signature to the document, signers pledge to never have engaged in pre-marital sex or extramarital affairs, end all viewing of pornography and gambling, never to marry a person of the same gender, and never to “favor any government action that would allow for civil unions of people of the same sex.” (If you’re wondering why they stopped the crazy train there and didn’t go all the way to aspirin tablets between women’s knees, well, that makes two of us.)

But apparently, this puritanical pledge has caused a stir within the South Carolina GOP. Local television reporter Rachel Kent has an update to this story in the video below: the purity pledge may have been politically motivated, intended to target a specific county sheriff who admitted last year to having an extramarital affair.

The state party has (begrudgingly?) conceded that it has no authority to block potential candidates from running –regardless of sexual orientation or choice of recreational sexual activities — provided they meet state qualifications.

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